Last Revised 8/25/2023
Article 1. Name. The name of this organization is the Coastal and Marine Geography Specialty Group (COMA) of the American Association of Geographers. The organization shall be referred to as the Coastal and Marine Geography Specialty Group, and it is understood that it is a component of the Association of American Geographers.
Article 2. Purpose. The purpose of the Coastal and Marine Geography Specialty Group is to encourage the intellectual exchange of knowledge related to coastal and marine environments and resources.
Article 3. Membership. Any member of the AAG can become a member of the Coastal and Marine Geography Specialty Group upon payment of dues. There are three classes of membership: Regular, Student, and Associate. Dues are $10 for regular members and $2 for student and associate members. Only Regular and Student classes of members can vote at the specialty group meeting. Associate memberships are reserved for members not living in the United States who are members of partner organizations of the AAG (e.g., International Geographical Union or Canadian Association of Geographers). Associate members may not hold office in the organization or compete for the Student Merit Awards, but are eligible for other awards of the organization.
Article 4. Officers. Elected officers must be regular members of the Coastal and Marine Geography Specialty Group. Their duties are as follows:
A. Chair. The chair shall preside over the annual specialty group meeting, perform appropriate communication with the AAG central office regarding specialty group news, such as awards announcements and recipients, coordinate between other elected officers when appropriate, submit a column for the Coastal and Marine Geography Specialty Group newsletter, and represent the specialty group at official functions. The term of chair is two years, determined according to the timing of AAG annual meetings.
B. Vice Chair. The vice chair shall assume the duties of the chair if the chair cannot or will not perform them. The vice chair serves as chair of the Student Paper Merit Award Committee, and should actively encourage student involvement. The vice chair also chairs and is a member of the R.J. Russell Award Committee. The vice chair may appoint regular members of the specialty group to judge student papers and to serve on the R.J. Russell Award Committee if the vice chair or any individual on the Board of Directors cannot perform his or her duties. The term of vice chair is two years, determined according to the timing of AAG annual meetings.
At the conclusion of the Vice-Chair term, the Vice-Chair is expected to assume the role of Chair for the subsequent 2-year period, unless an objection is voiced and a nomination for an alternate candidate is made by a COMA member in good standing prior to the annual business meeting, in which case, the membership shall vote for the Chair at the expiration of the term. (Added 4/2011)
C. Secretary-Treasurer. The secretary-treasurer shall record the minutes of the specialty group business meetings, keep membership records, coordinate and distribute the specialty group newsletter, keep financial records, and administer the specialty group's financial affairs. The term of secretary-treasurer is three years, determined according to the timing of AAG annual meetings.
D. Executive Board of Directors. The Board of Directors will consist of four individuals. Each shall function as a judge for the Student Paper Merit Awards, serving on that committee under the direction of the vice chair. Three members of the Board of Directors will serve two year terms, determined according to the timing of AAG annual meetings. The fourth position will be filled by a specialty group member who is currently pursuing their doctoral degree. This position will be the student representative on the board, serve a one year term determined according to the timing of the AAG annual meeting, and will have all the rights and responsibilities of a regular Board Member.
E. Awards Committee. (Added 3/2023) The Award Committee shall be chaired by the Vice Chair of the Specialty Group, with the Board of Directors serving as the other three committee members. At least three individuals should be on the selection committee, and if conflicts arise, the vice chair should appoint from the specialty group membership to meet this quota. A person shall not serve on the selection committee if they have nominated a candidate being considered, or if their student is competing in the competition.
F. Officer Elections. (Added 4/2011) Any COMA specialty group member in good standing may run for an available officer position (with the exception of the student board member). All expiring or vacant positions will be announced to the membership at least one month prior to the annual COMA business meeting. Members may self-nominate, or nominate another member (ensuring the nominated member is willing to serve if elected).
Vote will be by simple majority of those members present, and will be by open polling unless a secret ballot is requested by a member. The current Chair will not vote, except to cast a deciding vote in the case of a tie. All candidates must be members in good standing of the COMA specialty group at the time of election.
If there are no candidates for a position, the current board may elect to appoint a volunteer to fill the position until the next business meeting. If the appointed officer is not a COMA member at the time of appointment, they must become a member within two weeks of the business meeting.
Article 5. Description of Awards. The Coastal and Marine Geography Specialty Group has a Student Paper Merit Award, Illustrated/Guided Poster Award, R.J. Russell Award and Distinguished Paper/Service Awards.
A. The Norbert P. Psuty Student Paper Merit Award
(Renamed 3/8/2006)
Eligibility. The Student Paper Competition is held each year in conjunction with the AAG annual meeting. The Award is given for a meritorious student presentation in coastal or marine geography which meets the criteria specified in this description. Full-time and part-time undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for student awards if they are (1) the first or sole author of a paper concerning coastal or marine geography which they will be presenting at the annual AAG meeting and (2) have submitted the completed application form, or email with the required information, to the award committee by the closing date for paper submissions to the AAG. Awards may be given only for oral paper presentations. Posters are not eligible for this competition. The same individual can receive the award twice.
Procedures. The vice chair solicits and organizes the session. An application for the student paper award and a copy of the abstract of the paper must be received by the vice chair no later than the closing date for paper submissions to the AAG.
Criteria. In order to receive the award, a student paper must meet certain minimum criteria which imply merit or excellence. This award is not a simple "best" student paper award, which might result in giving an award to a paper that does not meet minimal standards of merit. The evaluation criteria are based on the students verbal presentation, quality of supporting visuals, originality/quality of the research, and ability to answer questions from the audience. Applicants must present their paper in a Student Paper Merit Award session organized by COMA. Detailed evaluation criteria are published periodically in the specialty group newsletter or are available from the vice chair.
Selection. The awardee will be selected by the Awards Committee from submitted papers. If both cultural-human and physical geography papers are competing when the award committee consists of only physical or only cultural-human geographers, a geographer from the unrepresented field should be appointed to the committee. The committee may award up two awards each year (e.g., undergraduate/Masters and PhD level, or best physical and best human paper).
Participation Incentive (Reinstated 3/2023). The incentive stipend is designed to encourage the early submission of papers for the Student Paper Merit Award competition and is $50. Each year the COMA Board of Directors will decide whether or not an incentive stipend will be offered the following year and the amount and number of stipends (currently $50 for the first four accepted applicants).
Award. An individual award consists of an $250.00 grant to be used to defray AAG and Coastal and Marine Specialty Group membership dues and travel expenses to the annual meeting as well as recognition on the Special Interests Group's website. Note - based on the number and type of papers presented the judges have the option to select one or two papers to received awards (i.e., best paper on human interactions with the coastal or marine environment and best oral paper on physical processes in a coastal or marine environment OR best undergraduate and best graduate level paper).
B. The H. Jesse Walker Student Illustrated Poster Merit Award (Renamed 4/2019)
Eligibility. The Student Poster Competition is held each year in conjunction with the AAG annual meeting. The Award is given for a meritorious student presentation in coastal or marine geography which meets the criteria specified in this description. Full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate students may compete for this award if they are (1) the first or sole author of a poster concerning coastal or marine geography which they will be presenting at the annual AAG meeting and (2) have submitted the completed application form, or email with the required information, to the award committee by the closing date for paper submissions to the AAG. Guided Poster are judged both on content of the poster and on the quality of the presentation.
Procedures. The vice chair solicits and organizes the session. An application for the student poster award and a copy of the abstract of the for the poster must be received by the vice chair no later than closing date for paper submissions to the AAG.
Criteria. In order to receive the award, a student poster must meet certain minimum criteria which imply merit or excellence. This award is not a simple "best" student poster award, which might result in giving an award to a poster that does not meet minimal standards of merit. To receive the award, a student's oral presentation and poster must earn at least 70 of the 100 points possible in the award committee's evaluation system. The weighted evaluation criteria are published periodically in the specialty group newsletter or are available from the vice chair. Applicants must present their work in a Illustrated Poster session organized or co-sponsored by COMA.
Selection. The awardee will be selected by the Awards Committee from submitted posters. If both cultural-human and physical geography posters are competing when the award committee consists of only physical or only cultural-human geographers, a geographer from the unrepresented field should be appointed to the committee.
Award. An individual award consists of an $150.00 grant to be used to defray AAG and Coastal and Marine Specialty Group membership dues and travel expenses to the annual meeting and recognition on the Special Interests Group's website.
C. The R.J. Russell Award.
Purpose. The R.J. Russell Award is given to recognize a person who is contributing or has contributed significantly to advancing coastal and marine geography.
Eligibility. Nominees are not required to be members of the AAG or specialty group and may be from outside the discipline of geography.
Nominations. Nominations must be made to the COMA Vice Chair no later than August 15th to be recognized at the subsequent AAG Meeting. Nominations can be made by any members of the Coastal and Marine Geography Specialty Group who is not a member of the selection committee. Two letters of recommendation are required for each candidate; one may be written by the person nominating the candidate. (Added 4/2011) Nominations for the award shall be made by August 15th of the year preceding the award year (e.g., August 15th, 2023 for the 2024 Russell Award) and shall be voted on by the selection committee at a virtual meeting no later than September 30th. The vice chair will organize and run this meeting. This timeline allows for the Specialty Group to organize a special session at the upcoming Annual Meeting of the AAG to honor the Award winner.
Selection. The R.J. Russell Award Committee shall be chaired by the vice chair of the specialty group with the Board of Directors serving as the other three members of the committee. A person shall not serve on the selection committee if they have nominated a candidate being considered for that year's award. At least three individuals should be on the selection committee, and, if conflicts arise, the vice chair should appoint from the specialty group membership to meet this quota. Criteria for Evaluation of Nominees. The award will be based on major contributions in one or more of the categories listed below. The appraisal of the nominee should be a concise summary of his or her achievements in and dedication to the field of coastal or marine geography. The subcategories listed here are not all-inclusive and should be considered as examples.
Criteria for Evaluation of Nominees. The award will be based on major contributions in one or more of the categories listed. The appraisal of the nominee should be a concise summary of his or her achievements in and dedication to the field of coastal or marine geography. The subcategories listed below are not all-inclusive and should be considered as examples.
Categories of contribution and example subcategories include:
Award. The R.J. Russell Award will consist of a plaque, recognition in the newsletters of the specialty group and the AAG, and complimentary registration to the AAG annual meeting of the Award Year. Beginning in 2023, a nominee who has been selected to receive the award will be notified by October 15th and will be presented with the plaque at the following AAG annual meeting. The awardee will give a lecture at the AAG meeting. The vice chair (or a designee) shall act as the session organizer and discussant for the lecture presented by the awardee.
D. Distinguished Paper Award. (Added 4/2013)
Purpose. The Distinguished Paper Award is given to recognize a published, peer-reviewed paper that has made a significant contribution to advancing coastal or marine geography.
Eligibility. All dues-paying members of the COMA specialty group are eligible and must be sole or first author on the paper (current COMA officers are not eligible). Papers are eligible if they have been published in the preceding two years and the year of the nomination deadline.
Nominations. Nominations must be made to the COMA Vice Chair no later than August 15th to be recognized at the subsequent AAG Meeting. (e.g., Papers published in 2020, 2021, and up to August 15th, 2022 are eligible for recognition at the 2023 AAG Meeting; papers published in 2021, 2022, and up to August 15th, 2023 are eligible for recognition at the 2024 AAG Meeting).
Selection. The R.J. Russell Award Committee will serve as the Distinguished Paper Award Committee. The committee will review each nominated article and determine the winner. Papers will be evaluated based on the originality of the research, writing clarity, and the quality of supporting graphics. A maximum of one paper will be selected for recognition per year.
Award. The Award will consist of a plaque, recognition in the newsletters of the specialty group and the AAG, and a letter of citation. The recipient will be notified prior to the AAG annual meeting and the award presented at the annual COMA Business Meeting. The awardee will be invited to give an oral paper presentation of the publication receiving the work at the AAG meeting (in a session organized by the vice chair). COMA will cover the registration cost for the Awardee.
E. Distinguished Service Award. (Added 3/2023)
Purpose. The Distinguished Service Award is given to individuals who are contributing significantly to advancing coastal and marine geography by supporting the Coastal and Marine Specialty Group for 10 or more years.
Eligibility. All dues-paying members of the AAG are eligible (current COMA officers are not eligible).
Nominations. Nominations may come from any member of the American Association of Geographers. Nominations must be made to the Awards Committee no later than August 15th in order to be recognized at the subsequent AAG Meeting. Nominations received after that date will be considered but may be awarded the following year.
Selection. The awardee will be selected by the Awards Committee from submitted nonomiations. To receive the award, nominees must meet the following three criteria:
1. The Service Award is given for service to the organization greater than ten years in duration where the recipient has a proven record of dependability and has displayed ethical behavior throughout the award period,
2.held and served honorably in two or more leadership positions in the organization, and
3.taken on a leadership role in organizing two or more major activities (e.g., publications, awards) or events (e.g., special sessions, field trips) of the organization.
Award. The Service Award will consist of a plaque or trophy and recognition in the newsletters of the specialty group and the AAG and at the COMA annual business meeting. Awardees will be notified before the registration deadline for the meeting so they may accept the award during a COMA sponsored session or at the annual business meeting; if this is not possible, the award will be presented at the following AAG annual meeting.
Article 6. Nonmembers (Associate Memberships). Nonmembers of the American Association of Geographers and the Coastal and Marine Specialty Group may join the group as associate members. Associate members may attend and participate, but cannot vote, at Coastal and Marine Geography Specialty Group meetings. Associate members will receive mailings of the specialty group newsletter for a fee equal to the current student membership rate. Associate members may not compete for Student Merit Awards or to hold office in the organization, but are eligible for other awards of the organization.
Article 7. Amendments. The by-laws of the Coastal and Marine Geography Specialty Group can be modified, supplemented, or rescinded by a majority of the voting membership present at the annual Coastal and Marine Geography Specialty Group business meeting.